The KCSA Department of Culture stated that during a full-scale war , spending significant funds from the city budget to dismantle the Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian People (Arch of Friendship of Peoples) is not the most urgent issue. This was reported to a UNN journalist by KCSA in response to a request, and noted that the Arch is recognized as a historical monument of local significance, which, according to the law, is prohibited from being demolished, altered, replaced, or moved to other places.
Given that during the period of martial law, the available financial resources of the Kyiv city budget are primarily used to fulfill the tasks of repelling armed aggression, the uninterrupted functioning of the budgetary sphere and the vital needs of the residents of the territorial community, the implementation of territorial defense measures and the protection of public safety, it seems that spending significant funds from the city budget to dismantle the arch of "Freedom of the Ukrainian People" is not the most urgent issue today
In addition, the KCSA reminded that the Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian People is assigned to the Central Park of Culture and Recreation of Kyiv on the right of operational management. By the decision of the Executive Committee of the Kyiv City Council of People's Deputies of 30.07.1984 No. 693, the Arch was recognized as a historical monument of local significance, which, according to the law, is prohibited from being demolished, altered, replaced, moved (relocated) to other places.
The KCSA also noted that in January 2024, a working group to study the removal of memorials related to the history and culture of Russia and the USSR from the public space of Kyiv decided to preserve the Freedom of the Ukrainian People Arch.
"In addition, by letter dated 12.12.2022 No. 060-2118, the Department of Cultural Heritage Protection of the executive body of the Kyiv City Council (Kyiv City State Administration) sent a submission to the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine with accounting documentation for the said object (without components) with a change of name in accordance with the decision of the Kyiv City Council of 14.05.2022 No. 4585/4626 "On the Naming of the Arch in Kyiv" - the Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian People and a change of appearance to monumental art," the response to the request states.
The KCSA department informs that as of today, the Department of Culture has no information on the decision of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine regarding the said object.
"The Kyiv City Council has not made any decisions to dismantle the facility," the response to the request reads.
Context
The Ukrainian Institute of National Memory says that the Arch of Friendship of Peoples in Kyiv symbolizes Russia's imperial policy and must be dismantled.
The Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance explainedthat the expert commission only made a decision on the need to dismantle the Peoples' Friendship Arch. Implementation of this decision and taking into account the advice of the UINP expert commission depends on the city authorities and the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy.